Same Time Next Year
by live and alone
Summary: When Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson met one evening, neither expected to start an affair with each other, the same weekend every year, especially since they are both married to other people! based on the movie/play SAME TIME NEXT YEAR.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I own no rights to the Glee characters, or the storyline of the movie SAME TIME NEXT YEAR.

Chapter 1:

Rachel Berry awoke to the birds singing, the sun shining in the windows of a very nice hotel cottage. The sun reflected off of her wedding ring, and she quickly moved her hand an inch to avoid the suns glare. She felt movement in the bed, and shifted her eyes up to the mirror directly to her right. She could see him shifting out of bed, trying carefully to not wake her. He didn't notice her staring in the mirror. He quickly removed his underwear from the floor and put them on, covering his lower body, and threw his "Paradise by the dashboard light" tee shirt on, covering up his top half. He was toned in all the right places. He was dark featured, hair and eyes, and yet his skin was pale.

Rachel rolled over, and looked at him. He turned to see her. "Hello." He said, with an awkward tone and smile. "Hi." She responded. "Why do you have to look like that?" He said with a sigh as he sat in the chair behind him. "Like what?" She asked as she sat up. "So beautiful. Why couldn't you have woken up with bad hair and puffy eyes like every other woman?" Rachel smiled. "I guess chubby thighs were enough." Rachel looked over at the mirror again, and she smiled. She didn't think she looked sexy, but she wasn't about to turn down the compliment. "We're in trouble." Finn said, as he looked in her eyes. She could see he was worried. His eyes had been what had drawn her to him in the first place. They were so open, honest, piercing. "We are?" she asked. "I think my wife knows about us." Rachel took a breath in. "What? How? You said she was in Ohio!"

Rachel felt her adrenaline surge. This wasn't like her. She had been driving all day to her acting workshop. She went every year, but after three hours of driving from New York city, as she hit a small town called Windham, the weather took a turn for the worst. Rain, wind, thunder, lightening…Rachel's star had not yet risen, and she wasn't about to die in a small town with no Starbucks. She saw a cute little hotel and noticed it was dinner time, and she pulled over to eat at the restaurant, hoping the bad weather would pass, and she could return to the road soon. She walked in and walked to the desk to ask about the restaurant. Standing to her left was a man she had an instant attraction to. "Be right with you." The woman behind the counter said to Rachel. "Take your time." Rachel said as she smiled back. She noticed the man looking at her and smiling, and before she knew it, she was smiling back at him. The woman turned back to him. "So, Mr. Hudson, your usual cabin is ready and waiting for you." He smiled. "Thanks Emma." He said with a smile. The woman, Emma, turned to Rachel and asked what she could help her with. Rachel asked if the restaurant was open, as Mr. Hudson walked out the side door.

Emma showed her in to the restaurant, and Rachel was seated promptly. The place was deserted. The waitress walked over. "Hi! I'm Tina, and I'll be your waitress this evening. May I get you something to drink?" Rachel smiled. "Yes, may I have a hot tea, and I'll take your Penne with Vodka sauce." Tina smiled and walked away. All of a sudden, he was there. Mr. Hudson, as Emma had referred to him, had walked in and got seated at the table right across from hers. They shared a smile. Tina went over to him, and he ordered a steak. Both meals came at the same time, and as Rachel used her fork to pick up her first bite, she heard him clear his throat. She looked up to see he had used the fork to pick up a piece of steak, and was holding it up to her as if they were toasting. She giggled and lifted her fork in the same manner.

After a few shared glances, she saw him get up with his plate and drink, and walk over to her table. "I thought maybe instead of both of us eating alone; we could keep each other company." She smiled. "I'd like that." He sat down and they got to talking. She learned his name was Finn, both of them were thirty, and he was an accountant to the local ski resort. He came every year from Ohio to do their taxes, since the owner, Sam Evans, had been a childhood friend. On the same weekend of every year, he came to the same hotel, stayed in the same cabin, and just did the taxed. The woman at the desk, Emma, was married to the caretaker of the property, Will Schuster. Wills father owned the hotel, but left it to Will and Emma to take care of. Finn told her about his wife, Brittany, and their two children Artie and Noah. Rachel told him about her husband, Jesse, and her daughter Barbara. Before they knew it, they had been talking for hours, and they had moved towards the hotels fireplace in the main lobby. Before Rachel knew it, it was ten pm, and the weather seemed to have cleared from a stormy evening, into a beautiful night. As she got up to leave, Finn jumped up and kissed her. She knew it was wrong. She was married! She loved her husband. She had a good life. Not great, but good. Most people didn't get good. But the minute his lips touched her, Rachel felt everything in her body ache for him. She needed him in that moment, and she knew that if she stopped kissing him, if better sense prevailed, she would wither on that hotel floor. His hands, which he had placed on the small of her back, were so hot that she could felt the heat transfer into her back.

Before she knew what happened, she was in his cabin and they were making love. Now, in the harsh light of day, the emotional aftermath of what they had done seemed to be sinking in, for both of them. "She is in Ohio, but it's like she has an alarm in her head. If I even look at another woman, it goes off." He said as he reached down for his pants. He put them on, and Rachel just stared. "Well, I assume that that's an exaggeration Finn. I mean, it's not like she's here." "I know," he said, "But I have this image of Quinn sitting up in bed with a death glare at my side of the bed." Rachel laughed at that image. His wife Quinn…she turned to him puzzled. "I thought you said her name was Brittany." Finn seemed to deflate a little in the chair. "I know. I lied." Rachel couldn't believe he had lied to her. "You lied?" She asked. "Yeah, I wanted to make myself harder to trace." She stared. "Ok, I didn't think things through ok? I was scared." He stood up and walked into the living room portion. The cabin was open, the living room and bedroom were connected by nothing but a banister and three stairs, with no walls or doors between them. Rachel had thought it quaint and cozy.

As he walked, she reached down for her bra and panties, and ran into the bathroom before he could turn around. She quickly put them on and walked back out to see him staring at her from the living room. Without breaking her gaze, he said to her, "It's weird. I know I should feel guilty, and I do. I keep thinking about my children and Quinn and the life that I've just assaulted, but I have this urge to be with you again." She had the same desire, but she knew it would be wrong. After Finn had fallen asleep the night before, Rachel was up another hour, silently crying due to the guilt and the shame. Yet, at the same time, all she wanted to do was kiss him, and feel his body on hers. "I know Finn, but we can't do that again. It would be wrong." He nodded. "I know. I'm not too big on caring at the moment." He walked toward her and leaned in for another kiss. As their lips were about to touch, there was a knock at the door. Both startled, they jumped back. "Room service." They heard from the other side of the door. "It's Will with my breakfast." Finn said. Rachel looked at him with a not happy look in her eyes. "Thanks for asking me. I'd love breakfast." Finn looked at her, with a look of panic in his eyes. "I ordered it at the front desk last night. It's 8am! Breakfast and a wake up call. You gotta hide!" Rachel began to run towards the bathroom, grabbing her dress from the night before off the floor. She threw it over her head. "Not there!" Finn hissed. Rachel rolled her eyes and ran out on the porch and shut the door. She could hear Finn talking to Will, exchanging pleasantries and whatnot. Rachel was amazed by the view. There was a beautiful lake behind the cottage, and on the other side of the lake there were two deer drinking water. Between the cottage and the lake was a field with flowers and a picnic table. Rachel sat at the picnic table and took in the view until she heard Finn open the door.

He sat down, placing the breakfast tray on the table. "Eat. It's yours." Finn said. Rachel smiled, and poured herself the coffee on the tray. They started talking again, and before she knew it, she was telling him all about her. She married right out of high school, at eighteen, because she had gotten pregnant. Her dreams of being a star, singer and actress, seemed to take the back burner, once there was a little human being crying out with its list of demands and needs. "You sing?" Finn asked. "I do." Rachel said. She heard meekness in her voice, that 12 years ago, she didn't have when it came her to talents. "Years ago, I knew I was the next big icon to hit the world. Now, I know I'm the next mom to host the monthly brownie sleepover." "Sing for me." Finn said. She giggled. "What?" She asked in shock. "You heard me," he said. "I want to hear." She smiled and she began a song that she loved to sing:

_I just look at the skyline, a million lights looking back at me._

_ And when they shine, I see a place I know I'll find some peace._

_ I just look at the skyline._

Finn just stared. She looked at him. "Well there you go." She said with a chuckle. "That was beautiful." He said. "Thanks. It was the Courtyard Hounds 'Skyline.'" He reached over and touched her cheek. She could feel the heat of his hand on her face, and she could feel her insides calling out for his kiss again. He leaned over and placed his soft lips on hers, and she melted into him. The one thing she knew as he kissed her, was that she was in trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

It had been five years since that first weekend, and Finn has still enthralled with Rachel. They had packed their things that weekend, and were going to go their separate ways, and they did. But they'd been meeting every year, the same weekend, in the same room. It was an affair that Finn was perplexed by. He knew it was wrong, knew that he was chancing the marriage he'd worked so hard for, and the wife he loved so much. Yet, there was something about Rachel that made the world begin the slow, except his heart, which seemed to be on fast forward. She was a drug. One that as much as he knew he should quit, he also knew he couldn't survive the withdrawal. Now, he was seated in the living room area of the cottage they'd shared for five years, waiting to see his drug. She had arrived before him, and when he got to the cottage, she was in the bathroom preparing. She told him to wait out there, before they were to head to dinner. She had changed her hair, and bought a new dress, and wanted to make a grand entrance. So he changed from his travel clothes, into his dinner suit. He needed to impress her. He sat and waited for her reveal, and he felt every cell in his body tremble with anticipation.

Rachel stood in the bathroom, staring into the mirror, wondering how he'd changed in the last year. She wondered if he'd like her new hairdo. She had been sitting at home one day, thinking about Finn. Jesse was at work, and she was fantasizing about him, knowing that in a month, she'd get to feel his hands on her body, his lips on hers, his body on hers. Suddenly, she snapped out of the fantasy and began to cry, because she felt so guilty. This year had been hard for her to handle the guilt. Her daughter was 17 now, with a rebellious spirit. Her marriage was stuck in the same rut it had always been. Jesse loved his wife at home, and the passion was non-existent. Their love making felt like yet another chore she had to do around the house. There was nothing about it that sparked any kind of emotion. The sex was alright, but one night, she closed her eyes and conjured up a memory of Finn. That's where the guilt started. That day, she awoke from her fantasy, and decided she needed to change something, do something. She marched to the hairdresser, and had her hair cut off. She went from hair that went to the mid-back, to a bob with bangs. It was the change she needed. But it didn't take away the guilt.

She arrived before Finn, and she checked in at the front desk. "Hi Emma." Emma looked up from her computer. "Hi Mrs. Hudson!" Will and Emma and all the staff of the hotel thought that she and Finn were a married couple, taking a yearly romantic vacation. It always made her feel guilty. It brought the image of Quinn to the forefront of her mind. She had seen a picture of Quinn once. She was gorgeous. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect body, pretty smile. Yet all Rachel could think of was Quinn's world shattering if she were to find out about Rachel. Rachel checked in and got to the room and as the minutes passed, she knew clearer and clearer what it was she had to do. After about an hour, she heard a car pull up. She walked to the window and saw him get out of a cab in the space outside of the cottage. She knew instantly that every fiber of her being needed him, and she grabbed her bag and ran into the bathroom. When he came in, she told him to wait, she wasn't done getting ready. Now, she was finished, and she quickly primped her new bob one more time, and she did a check to make sure her dress looked ok. She had bought this new dress just for him. It was black, with a shiny emblem in the center of the breast. She had on her black heels, simple make up, other than dramatic eyeliner.

"Ready?" She yelled. "Been ready for 364 days." He said. She smiled, and opened up the door to see him standing next to the couch. "Wow." He said. She giggled. "I love your hair." He said, as he walked over to her. Without missing another second, he kissed her, and they both felt more complete than they had felt all year. "Needed to look good for our dinner reservation." She said. "I made one in town at an Italian place, called _The Rolling Stone_." He smiled, and offered her his arm, as any gentleman should. She looped her arm in his, and they both left for the restaurant.

They were seated and asked for two glasses of white wine. Neither knew what they wanted to eat. All they could do was talk, and catch up. "How's business?" Rachel asked him. "Ok. I actually just moved to Boston, more clients." Finn said. "Well that's good." She replied. He sighed and said, "The only thing that's bothering me is little Noah. He is turning into such a weird kid. He keeps on writing little movies, little plays, and little stories. It worries me. He's 15. I want him to be thinking about practical things to do with his life." Rachel looked over at him and sighed, "But Finn, if it's his dream, how can you squash it? Would you stop me from singing?" He looked at her, "No. I don't know. I mean, when I was younger, I was into sports. I loved football, and basketball, but I always knew I needed something steady. Noah's so in the clouds. He lives in la la land. I mean he had an assignment to write about what he did over summer break. Problem is, he wrote exactly what he tried to do." "Which was?" Rachel asked. "He wrote in great detail about his desire to sleep with as many women as possible! He wrote about how he tried and failed!" Rachel busted out laughing. "I mean it." Finn said. "I think he's not wired together properly." She stopped laughing and said, "He really gets to you, doesn't he?" Finn just looked at her. "Just because you're two different people, doesn't make it harder to love him, it should make it all the better."

She reached over and grabbed his hand. He felt his body temperature rise, and before he knew it, he had reached over, and they were kissing, deep and passionately. He needed her right there. They separated and Rachel stared at him intensely, before whispering, "Damn. And I just got all dressed up." Finn threw a 20 on the table, and they ran to the car. Luckily, it wasn't a far drive to the hotel. Within 15 minutes, they were laying on the bed, both stripped down to their underwear, heavily kissing. Neither one was having a cognizant thought, just caught up in the desire for each other. He loved feeling Rachel lay on top of him. _**Ring ring**__._ _Perfect time for Emma to call about the breakfast order and to see if they wanted a wake up call._ Rachel thought. Finn grabbed the phone, "Hello?" He said, barely mustering a voice filled with desire. "HI!" He yelled shocked. He shot up, knocking Rachel onto the bed. "This is daddy Artie. What's wrong?" Rachel sat back on the bed. "Oh no! Well of course the tooth fairy will come. She will! She knows automatically when a good little boy loses his first tooth, whether or not he can find it." Rachel smiled at the experience of seeing Finn as a dad. "Well I wish I could be home, but I'm…working. I love you too." He hung up.

Rachel placed her hand on his shoulder, but he jumped up. "Oh my god! I'm scum!" He yelled. Rachel looked at him. "That was little Artie calling to inform me that he lost his first tooth, but he can no longer find it, so he's afraid that the tooth fairy won't come! And He wanted his daddy to help him look for it." Rachel sighed, "You handled it beautifully. You were such a great daddy." He looked at her stunned. "What do you mean?! I'm having an affair. I was here, hoping to have sex with a woman who is not his mother, betraying all he knows, and all he wants is me!" Rachel scoffed and said, "Well Finn, that's what it is, and I was very impressed with how you handled it. You said everything right." "But I'm doing everything wrong." He said, as he grabbed his laptop, and began typing furiously. "Maybe you don't feel it, but I do." Rachel jumped up. She was so angry with that insinuation. "Excuse me?!" He closed his computer. "I FEEL IT FINN! I'VE FELT GUILTY EVERY DAY SINCE WE STARTED." She yelled, as she threw on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. He looked at her, "Can we finish this in the car?" "In the car?" She asked. "I hate to ask this, but I need to leave. There's a train in 45 minutes, and I need a ride." She just froze, and stared at him.

It wasn't a long ride to the train station, and he had tried to explain himself the whole way. The call shook him up. He needed to be with his son, his family. She had a family, if they needed her, wouldn't she leave? The only thing she said to him was, "If there was vomiting. Not for the goddamn tooth fairy." They arrived at the train station, as he was getting his stuff out of the car, she just looked up at the sky. "Don't worry Rachel. I'll see you next year." She looked at him. "No I don't think you will." She said. "Because I have to leave early one year?" He asked. "No, because of the fact that you're letting your guilt ruin this, and the factor that you insinuated that I feel nothing. I've been agonizing over this for a year. I even came tonight with the intention of breaking this off, going home, and living my life in penance for the last five years." "You did?" He asked. "I did. You may not see me cry, but I do. Mostly I cry in the bathtub, with a towel stuffed in my mouth. But when I saw you getting out of the cab, I knew I needed you. I loved you, and no matter what the price for this weekend every year, I was willing to pay it." He just stared at her stunned. She had never said any of this before, never hinted to any guilt, or of her emotional connection to him. The train whistle blew, and she sighed. "Better go, you'll miss your train." He grabbed his bags, turned and walked toward the train, as a light rain began to mist over Rachel.

She got into the car and drove back to the cottage, crying the whole way. She was mourning the end of something so wrong and terrible, but so right and beautiful. She drove into town, walked around a few shops that were open late, before returning to the cottage. She walked in, and saw Finn sitting on the couch. "What are you doing here?" She asked. He got up and walked over to her. "I'm crazy. I didn't think it through. But I know that the thought of never seeing you again, never touching you again. I was in a cab before I knew it. I love you." He kissed her, and he knew he was in trouble.


End file.
